Jelly-cide: 100,000 Salmon Killed

In this photo released by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the National Geographic Society-led Inner Space Speciation Project (ISSP) shows a jellyfish (Aequorea sp) collected by divers... (Associated Press)

(Newser)
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An attack of killer jellyfish has wiped out Northern Ireland’s only salmon farm. More than 100,000 fish died in the seven-hour attack, causing estimated losses of $2.1 million, AFP reports. The 35-foot-deep wave of jellyfish covered 10 square miles. The mauve stinger normally prefers warmer Mediterranean waters and has never been seen off British shores in such numbers.

The attack was particularly poorly timed for John Russell, who took over as the farm’s boss just three days earlier. “It was sheer devastation. The sea was red with these jellyfish and there was nothing we could do,” he said. Government officials are considering financial aid for the company, which has 12 staff and supplies leading London restaurants and European hotels. (Read more salmon stories.)